NCAA Bracket 2024: Highlighting Favorites, Cinderella Teams for Men's March Madness
The reigning NCAA men's basketball tournament champion comes into the 2024 event with a giant target on its back.
The Connecticut Huskies earned the No. 1 overall seed in Sunday's bracket reveal.
UConn, the Purdue Boilermakers and Houston Cougars lived in a tier of their own for most of the men's college basketball season.
Those three teams are joined by the North Carolina Tar Heels on the No. 1 seed line.
The top squads likely will not face a threat until the second round at earliest, but other high seeds will be on upset alert from the first minute.
A few dangerous No. 12 seeds from the mid-major ranks will be popular picks to make Cinderella runs into the second weekend and beyond.
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Favorites
UConn
The top-rated team in the NCAA tournament bracket has one of the best shots to repeat as champion in the last decade.
UConn looked even stronger in its preparation for the NCAA tournament this year than it did ahead of last season's title run.
Danny Hurley's team went 18-2 in the Big East and won the Big East tournament. its only loss this calendar year came on February 20 against the Creighton Bluejays.
The Huskies are one of the most well-rounded teams in the country and their experience from last season should pay dividends later in the tournament.
UConn may have to go through two fellow Final Four participants from last season, the Florida Atlantic Owls and San Diego State Aztecs, in the second and third rounds. The Iowa State Cyclones and Illinois Fighting Illini are the top seeds in the way of UConn's Final Four repeat bid.
Purdue
Purdue possesses the likely two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey.
The Boilermakers have the advantage in the paint against any opponent with Edey, but March results have been hard to come by.
Matt Painter's team was eliminated by a No. 13, No. 15 and No. 16 seed in the last three seasons.
Like UConn, Purdue rarely slipped up during conference play, as it went 17-3 and lost in the Big Ten tournament semifinals.
A handful of programs with lengthy NCAA tournament histories, like the Kansas Jayhawks and Gonzaga Bulldogs, as well as the No. 2 seed Tennessee Volunteers reside in the Midwest region alongside Purdue.
Houston
Houston advanced to the second weekend in each of its last four NCAA tournament appearances.
The Cougars own an Elite Eight and one Final Four appearance during that stretch.
Houston's veteran guards have been vital to March success in previous years. Jamal Shead is expected to take up the starring role over the next few weeks.
Kelvin Sampson's team must be considered the favorite to advance out of the South region. The Marquette Golden Eagles and Kentucky Wildcats have some injury issues and inconsistencies that could keep them from contending with Houston.
Cinderellas
James Madison
The 31-3 James Madison Dukes will be one of the most popular upset picks in bracket pools.
The Dukes upset the Michigan State Spartans in their season opener and were ranked in the Top 25 for a few weeks.
The Sun Belt tournament champion did not lose in February and March. It will be difficult to stop because of its high-flying offense.
JMU eclipsed the 80-point mark in seven of its last eight games and it ranks in the top 60 in most offensive metrics on KenPom.
The Dukes' offense will challenge a Wisconsin Badgers team that struggled down the stretch of Big Ten play and only resurrected that season with a run to the Big Ten tournament final.
A win over Wisconsin would likely give JMU an opportunity to earn a historic program victory over the fourth-seeded Duke Blue Devils.
McNeese
Will Wade built the McNeese Cowboys into a mid-major powerhouse this season.
The Southland regular-season and tournament champion suffered a single loss since November 22.
Of course it must be noted that McNeese faced lesser competition for most of the season. That is why some may be skeptical about the Cowboys' chances against Gonzaga in the Midwest region.
McNeese owns the seventh-best three-point offense and 29th-rated two-point defense that could cause problems for the Zags.
A win over Gonzaga would be a massive statement for McNeese as a program since the Zags played at their best level of the season over the last six weeks.
A first-round victory could give McNeese a shot another historic win over the Kansas Jayhawks, who enter the tournament with injury concerns for Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar.